Is This a Giant “Favourite Things” Post or a Gift Guide? You Decide.

Can you tell I’m not an influencer or an affiliate based on the timing of this post? Gift guides seem to get released earlier and earlier every year (I think I started seeing them in October?) and, for the most part, I absolutely love them. I get all sorts of interesting ideas and find browsing them both relaxing and fun.

Last year I did a big recap of our Christmas gifts (see here for extra fodder), and I’ll aim to do the same after this holiday season is in the proverbial bag (John reads my blog, so if I posted specifics before Christmas it would ruin some surprises).

Today’s post is less a gift guide and more a giant round-up of household favourites. Everything listed below is something we actually own, use, and appreciate. For the most part, if any of these items were to break, we would immediately look to purchase a replacement. Since I don’t have any affiliations, I have lazily opted to not include any links. If something catches your eye, you’ll need to figure out your own way to get it 😉

KITCHEN

• Magic Bullet. We’ve bought two bases and all the needed parts (blade + handled cups) at thrift stores for less than $20 total. These are great for making individual smoothies. We use ours regularly!
• Stanley IceFlow (Leakproof). Perhaps no longer trendy (what do I know?), but I absolutely LOVE mine and use it daily. I’m a big fan of the leakproof flip top.
• Silicon non-stick baking sheets. I don’t use these often but when I need them, I really appreciate their functionality!
• Cookie scoops. These are great for cookies and ice cream and just about anything else that needs scooping! I will say that the Pampered Chef brand are the best ones I’ve ever used – quality really matters; I have the small and medium sizes, 1 and 2 tablespoons of volume respectively.
• 4-cup liquid measuring cup. It’s so helpful to have something larger than the standard 2 cups. (I also really like Tupperware and Pampered Chef batter bowls and have been gifted one of each over the years and use them all the time.)
• Metal mixing bowls with lids. My mother-in-law gifted us a set when we got married and they are in regular use. Good quality mixing bowls WITH lids are so versatile! (The lids are key!)
• Sundae spoons. Another beloved gift from my MIL, her original set of 8 just wasn’t enough for our family. We bought more and now use about a dozen long-handled sundae spoons per day. People in our household reach for them to eat things like yogurt and ice cream, but my favourite is using them to stir creamer into coffee or tea, especially in our tallest mugs. They’re also great for reaching the bottom of jars!
• Rice cooker. We own a small, simple rice cooker (thrifted for about $5!) and absolutely love having one.
• Multicoloured measuring cups. We were gifted a set of four multicoloured measuring cups. Ours happen to be Pampered Chef but the brand shouldn’t be the important bit…it’s having different colours. We have all learned that green is 1/4, blue is 1/3, yellow is 1/2, and red is 1 cup; even if the cups aren’t nested for some reason, I immediately know the volume based on the colour! “I need a blue cup of sugar!” would be understood by everyone in our family to be 1/3 cup.

BIBLE/READING

• The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble has changed my life. I have so appreciated this companion guide for daily Bible reading. I usually find devotionals patronizing and/or predictable and/or (*whisper*) boring and/or filled with wordy fluff. For me, The Bible Recap has avoided ALL of these common pitfalls. It arranges the Bible into 365 chronological sections (#Love), and then there is a two-page spread recapping and explaining the context of the text. I bought it in the faux leather cover and it has held up so well. Second to my Bible, this is the Christian reference book I now cherish the most.
• A thin Bible. I own the exact Bible pictured (ESV translation). I love it so much. It has held up exceptionally well, is lightweight, but somehow the pages aren’t horribly thin and the writing isn’t microscopic. And it’s so pretty!
• Mr Pen Highlighters. Another thing I adore. These don’t bleed through and are like a translucent crayon. Highly recommend if you’re highlighting a Bible or any book where you don’t want highlighters to bleed through.
• Page flags. I love to mark quotes in books. I have the set pictured (from Amazon). I like that the flags come on a bookmark, so I can just slip them inside whatever book I’m reading.
• Pilot Juice Up 0.4. Thanks forever to SHU for turning me on to these pens. They are a favourite in our household.
• Sprouted Planner. This will be my fourth year using a Sprouted Planner and I have no desire to use anything else.

SELF CARE

• Unbrush. I know there are cheaper options that work well (Ninabella is the brand Belle has and it’s under $15 and is the first brush to last her more than a year – we had issues with the quality of Wet brushes and both Unbrush and Ninabella have been worlds better for us). I can’t say enough good things about my Unbrush. I love how light it is (at first it felt too light and flimsy, but after I got used to it, I realize that is part of the magic!). I love how well it brushes through hair (no tangling). I love how it can be used in the shower and then with a blowdryer. BIG FAN!
• Curaprox toothbrushes. They aren’t cheap, but just look at the fun colours. Also, I think these are my favourite manual toothbrushes EVER.
• Spotify. Music is balm to my soul. I use Spotify daily and can’t imagine life without having most of the music in the world at my fingertips. I think a subscription would make a wonderful Christmas gift.
• Magic bags. We’ve amassed quite a collection over the years and they all get constant use in our household! (As I type this I have one on my feet and one in my lap.)
• Heated floor mat. This is a new-to-me item, but I’ve loved it enough already that I feel like insisting everyone who struggles with cold feet must buy this mat. (If you do, make sure to ALWAYS unplug it when you’re away from your desk.)

TRAVEL

• Contoured eye masks. I use an eye mask every night for sleeping and will never look back from these “puffy” masks that are designed so eyelids can fully blink beneath them. I don’t wear false lashes, but I’ve heard these are great for protecting those as well!
• One Line A Day Journal. The version pictured is the one I own and I use daily. I haven’t missed a single day in THREE YEARS. It goes with me everywhere. I rarely write anything profound, but I really appreciate having a summary of each day’s events to look back on each successive year.
• TSA Approved clear zippered bags. For years we used Ziploc bags to contain travel-sized toiletries in our carryons, but these have been a great (inexpensive) upgrade.
• Photobooks. I do a giant annual photobook that includes all the activities from a calendar year, but I know many people commemorate specific trips with a small photobook. What a great gift that would make! (I create all my photobooks with Blurb.)
• A universal adapter. John could not make it through a day of travel without this trusted companion.
• Compression packing cubes. (Or packing cubes in general.) I’m a big fan, not only for space-saving, but also for how well I can keep my clothes organized when I’m away from home.

HOUSE

• Yolink water sensors. I am terrified of water leaks in our house. These are great for peace of mind.
• Smart plugs. I have mixed feelings about smart gadgets, but even I have to admit that smart plugs are handy.
• Exercise ball chair. I’ve a chair just like this for years in our office and still love it!
• Reusable grocery bins. I use them for transporting just about everything (in no way limited to groceries).
• A nice-smelling candle. This maple syrup one is our absolute favourite candle. EVER.
• Eufy robovacuum. We own two Eufy brand robovacuums and treat them like beloved members of the family.
• Method spray. Maybe not “main gift” material, but I love Method products. Their pink grapefruit spray is my favourite scent.
• Vileda Spin Mop. I hate cleaning floors but this almost makes the task enjoyable. And it is the only mopping system I have found that will not leave streaks on our laminate.
• IKEA hanging dryer. We use this for air-drying merino wool socks. Works like a charm.
• Special candlesticks. These Georg Jansen ones are ridiculously expensive to buy in North America, but there are lots of lovely candlestick options these days. We light candles almost every evening for supper and the experience is extra special because we’re using beautiful candlesticks.
• Bottom-loading water cooler. I think this is the single most-loved appliance in our house. We drink SO much water, and this is perfection.
• Delicates bags. How did I make it through almost 4 decades of living on this earth without bags for our delicates?

WEARABLES

• High-quality socks. Darn Tough are our absolute favourite brand. They have a lifetime unconditional guarantee and we can confirm they stand behind this with zero challenge.
• Blundstones. Pricey but, again, they really stand behind their products. We’ve had two pairs replaced by their warranty department and will continue to invest in these shoes for years to come because they are so versatile!
• Crocs. For the record, I bought pairs for John and I long before they were trending with the young, hip crowd. (I bet it’s decidedly NOT cool to call anyone hip these days.)
• Knotted headband. I use these daily from October to May. Since I have long-ish hair and it’s usually up in a bun, these are invaluable for keeping my sensitive ears warm.
• Nivea Lip Care. On the cheaper end of the spectrum…this is my go-to lip balm and has been for years and years.

GAMES/BOY

• Monopoly Deal. Our kids love this game and it usually takes less than 15 minutes to get through a round. It’s a million times faster (and better) than “real” Monopoly.
• Disco lightbulb. We bought one years ago for our daughter at a yard sale ($1!) and she still has it hanging in her closet. (Bonus: her friends think it’s cool.)
• Codenames. So fun and lots of variations on the game (words, pictures, pop culture).
• Scattergories. A family favourite. I’m not a real “game” person, but I always enjoy Scattergories.
• Sorry. I grew up playing Sorry and it is beloved by the kids. I’ll admit the newer edition isn’t nearly as good as the original. If you can find the original, buy that one…but if you get a new version, we play with the old rules.
• LEGO. Mic drop.
• Five Crowns. Maybe our favourite family card game?
• Crokinole. Very fun, though it does take up a lot of space. Sometimes we just leave this set up for a few days on the dining room table and I find people naturally flock to it to play games throughout the day.
• Bedtime shadow books. These are SO fun. I haven’t held on to many books from my kids’ childhoods, but this one will stay on my shelf forever.
• Over-the-door basketball net. Indy has gotten dozens and dozens of hours of fun out of a set we bought him years ago.
• Speed cube. Inexpensive speed cubes on Amazon tend to be excellent. Speed cubes are much “smoother” for transitions, which means they can be solved faster than traditional Rubik’s cubes.
• A fish tank + fish. I mean…if our family can take the plunge, surely someone else can this Christmas 😉

TEEN GIRL

I asked for some feedback about Belle’s all-time favourite items. (Both her Stanley waterbottles made the list, but I’m not including a picture since they show up above; she also mentioned her love of art supplies – markers, watercolours, nice paper, scrapbooking supplies, stickers, art kits.)

• Lululemon. Not surprisingly, she has jumped on the bandwagon. She owns a T-shirt, a pair of leggings, a pair of loose black dance pants, and a zip-up sweater. They have all been purchased at thrift stores for $10 or less. I have zero plan to buy her any new Lulu things this Christmas, but always keep my eye open at thrift stores!
• Student Study Bible. This was one of her main Christmas requests a few years ago and this Bible has been amazing. She loves it and it looks well loved. She has doodled and drawn and added in stickers and I’m so happy it no longer looks pristine because it means she’s using it! It’s quite big because there are something like 900+ footnotes – they give lots of cultural context, diagrams, maps, and fun facts.
• Lava lamp. Another thrifted purchase we’ve had for years, but it lends a nice ambience to any kid’s room!
• Puma socks. Low-cut Puma socks seem to be all the rage among her friend group. This is basically the only sock she wears and they hold up SO well – she’s owned them for a year and hasn’t put a hole in a single sock, despite wearing them almost every single day. (Note: she is extremely “easy” on socks and footwear, so I can’t guarantee they’ll be indestructible for others.)
• The Ordinary Serum. When Belle was working at camp this summer it seemed like everyone was using the Ordinary Serum; she had a Sephora gift card from her birthday and bought some for herself and has loved it. I think it’s $12/bottle? Pretty inexpensive as serums go!
• Mad Libs. A perennial favourite for both kids.
• Wreck This Journal. Belle absolutely LOVED this – it’s a book full of fun, interactive prompts. For a year or two, we used these as our go-to birthday gift for her friends.
• Letterboard. We bought ours at the Dollarstore and it has worked great. She loves it!
• IKEA pegboard. I think she mentioned this twice as one of her all-time favourite things! Very versatile and allows for lots of fun displays and self-expression.

These next two are the stand-out items she highlighted as loving when she was younger.

• Shopkins. Belle LOVED tiny things and these scratched that itch perfectly. We have had so many Shopkins in our house over the years! They’re soft and flexible, they’re fun, they’re small and don’t take up tons of space. (It was also quite easy to find quite a few at thrift stores.)
• Calico Critters. More of an investment, we only started buying them because Belle had inherited some Calico items from a friend. But for a year or two, she really enjoyed playing with Calico Critters and they are well made toys.

STOCKINGS STUFFER IDEAS

• Lotions, lip balms, fancy shampoos, make-up removal products.
• Whoopie cushion. (Hilarious.)
• Invisible ink pens. (Very fun!)
• A new Christmas ornament.
• A little plant.
• Festive mug + a bag of coffee/hot chocolate.
• Beef jerky.
• Measuring tape.
• Nice reusable shopping bag.
• Earrings.
• A cozy blanket. I firmly believe one can never have too many fuzzy blankets in their possession.
• Favourite foods.
• Finger gloves.
• Magnetic level.
• Blank notecards.
• Milk frother. The kids are obsessed and I kinda am too. It makes coffee more luxurious, but the main draw is how perfectly it mixes up a mug of frothy hot chocolate on cold winter days.
• Apple AirTags.
• A silk pillowcase (Mulberry silk are much cheaper and provide most of the same benefits – I have $20 “silk” pillowcase and absolutely love it. Tip: buy one with a zipper closure, not envelope enclosure!)
• TubShroom. Amazing if anyone in your house sheds long hair in the shower.

Your turn.

• How do you feel about gift guides?
• Tell me some of your absolute favourite things. (Would any of them make good Christmas gifts?)
• Do you own anything I’ve mentioned above?
• Has anyone played Crokinole before?

Header photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash